Once hailed as a legal titan and the real-life inspiration behind the blockbuster film Erin Brockovich, Tom Girardi now finds himself at the center of a far less glamorous story — sentenced to seven years in prison for defrauding his clients of millions.
On June 3, a federal judge in California handed down the sentence to the 86-year-old disbarred attorney, marking a dramatic fall from grace for the man once known as a “champion of justice.” The Department of Justice confirmed the conviction, which stems from Girardi’s embezzlement of approximately $15 million from vulnerable clients over the course of a decade.
“This self-proclaimed ‘champion of justice’ was nothing more than a thief and a liar who conned his vulnerable clients out of millions of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “My office will vigorously prosecute corrupt lawyers and those who assist them in criminal activities.”
Tom Girardi, who rose to national prominence in the 1990s after his involvement in the Pacific Gas and Electric groundwater contamination case — the basis for Erin Brockovich — later became a pop culture figure through his appearances on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, alongside his now-estranged wife, Erika Jayne (Erika Girardi).
Federal prosecutors revealed that Girardi funneled over $25 million from his law firm to EJ Global, the company set up to fund Jayne’s entertainment career. That money went toward lavish expenses including private jets, luxury cars, high-end jewelry, and exclusive club memberships.
Erika Jayne, 53, filed for divorce in 2020 after allegations against Girardi surfaced. She has repeatedly claimed she was unaware of his criminal behavior. Though named in a lawsuit related to the Lion Air crash victims, she was dismissed from the case in 2022.
Throughout the trial, Girardi’s legal team argued he was suffering from Alzheimer’s and living in an assisted care facility. Nevertheless, he was declared competent to stand trial in early 2024 and must surrender to authorities by July 17.
Jayne, who was in London on the day of the sentencing for a performance at the iconic KOKO club, reflected on her recent struggles in an interview with Vogue UK. “We all go through things — you have to realize that you’re not the only one,” she said. “And you have to find the will to take baby steps until you feel more comfortable, and those baby steps might last for a long time.”
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